The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes above 50,000 feet. For more than 20 years, B-52s have been the primary manned strategic bomber force of the United States. The Stratofortress can carry nuclear or conventional ordnance, and in a conventional conflict can perform close-air support, interdiction, and strategic bombing missions. Used to assist the U.S. Navy in anti-ship and anti-submarine operations, the B-52 is highly effective in ocean surveillance. Two B-52s with two hours on station can cover 140,000 square miles of ocean surface. The B-52A first flew in 1954, and the A model began entering U.S. Air Force service in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were built, with the last B-52H delivered in 1962. Models A, B, C, E, and F have been phased out of the Air Force inventory.

Delivery of B-52Ds to the Strategic Air Command began in June 1956. All D models were modified to carry a maximum of 108 conventional bombs and were used in the Southeast Asia conflict from 1966 to 1973. In February 1959 deliveries of the B-52G began. The G model is the first missile-carrying bomber. Adaptions included a shorter tail fin, a redesigned wing with integral fuel tanks, and fixed under-wing tanks. The aircraft initially carried two AGM-28 Hound Dog air-to-surface missiles on round-trip missions of more than 10,000 miles.

The first B-52H model was delivered to SAC in May 1961. It has improved defensive armament, including a 20mm Gatling tail gun. Installation of an Air Force satellite communications system on 15 B-52Hs was completed in 1979. The system works in con-junction with orbital stations to give the bombers around-the-world communications capability. With aerial refueling, the B-52's range is limited only by the endurance of its six-man crew.

Modified G and H models can carry up to 20 short-range at-tack missiles (SRAM)--six under each wing and eight in the bomb bay--as well as four gravity bombs in the bomb bay. All G and H models are equipped with an electro-optical viewing system which uses forward-looking infrared and Iow-light-level television sensors to improve low-level flight capability.

In the G and H models the gunner's post has been moved from the tail to the forward crew section. The tail guns are controlled by tail-mounted radars. The G and H models have two steerable turrets underneath the nose that contain the electro-optical viewing systems.

B-52G and B-52H models have also been modified to carry the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). Each aircraft of the first squadron was modified to carry 12 ALCMs externally. Later modifications incorporated a bomb-bay rotary launcher for eight additional ALCMs, or eight SRAMs, or a combination of the two. In August 1981, the first modified B-52G capable of carrying ALCMs was delivered to Griffiss Air Force Base, New York.